Army neither came in direct clash with PTI miscreants nor they were employed for riot control, says statement
Mahnoor Ansar
ISLAMABAD: Days after the chaos in the federal capital city, the Ministry of Interior on Sunday revealed startling details about the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) recent “do-or-die” Islamabad protest.
The ministry gave a detailed account of the development that unfolded from its talks with the PTI, ahead of the party’s November 24 protest march, following an order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), to busting alleged social media propaganda, the violent incidents as well as the losses incurred to the economy.
The ministry said the IHC on November 21 directed the federal government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in the federal capital.
The high court had directed the interior minister to engage with the PTI leadership in this regard. Given the sensitivity of the Belarusian president and the Chinese high-level delegation’s visit, the former ruling party was initially asked to postpone the protest but on their persistence to continue with it, the PTI was subsequently offered Sangjani area as a designated location.
“In this regard, out of the ordinary and at odd timings, meetings were also allowed between the PTI leadership and its founder. On the contrary and in spite of the extraordinary concessions extended, the PTI violated the court’s orders blatantly and instead of holding a protest at a designated place [Sangjani], unlawfully breached entry towards the Red Zone of Islamabad,” the interior ministry added.
The ministry said throughout the protest march from Peshawar to Red Zone Islamabad, violent protestors of the PTI aggressively engaged LEAs repeatedly using firearms and all sorts of other weaponry including steel slingshots, stun grenades, tear gas shells and nail-studded batons to force their way to Red Zone Islamabad.
“This violent protest was primarily orchestrated and logistically and financially sustained and supported by the resources of the government of KP. Alarmingly, the PTI’s protest included violent and trained miscreant elements including many illegal Afghan nationals who spearheaded the riots and violent activities throughout the march,” it was alleged in the ministry’s statement.
The miscreants, it added, employed as the violent vanguard, comprised of about 1,500 hardcore fighters working directly under absconder and proclaimed offender Murad Saeed — the senior PTI leader and former minister.
“This vanguard group, using militant tactics violently attacked the LEAs and breached the blocks with the help of government machinery paving the way for the second wave of vehicles and protestors to cross. It must be noted that LEAs personnel, despite sustaining grievous injuries, exhibited a high degree of restraint against these violent protesters led by trained miscreants,” it further said.
During this, the ministry said, a vehicle also ran over Rangers personnel performing duty at a check post in Islamabad, resulting in shahadat (martyrdom) of three Rangers soldiers and critical injuries to five others.
Besides, during the violent protest, one policeman embraced shahadat and 232 LEA personnel were also grievously injured by these miscreants. The violent mob not only attacked security forces but also set multiple police vehicles on fire, showcased firearms, burnt trees and police tents, damaged properties and created terror among the common citizens, it said.
“The Pakistan Army was deployed in Islamabad under Article 245 of the Constitution only to secure key government installations and foreign diplomats in the sensitive Red Zone while ensuring a secure environment for high-profile foreign dignitaries visiting the country.
“On 26 November, as protesting miscreants reached Red Zone, violating the lawful orders of the IHC, the situation escalated and they directly clashed multiple times with LEAs using firearms, tear gas shells, stun grenades, steel slingshots and nail-studded batons etc.
